The line about Lebanon being a message comes from John Paul II's 1989 letter to the Lebanese bishops, written during the civil war, and it has been quoted since by Lebanese of every confession, by later popes and by politicians of all sides. The Maronite patriarchate has taken positions all across the political map: Patriarch Sfeir's 2000 call for Syrian withdrawal was a turning point in Lebanese politics, and Patriarch al-Rahi has pressed for Lebanese neutrality and for an international conference on the country's status. The church's critics inside Lebanon, including Maronites, argue that a hierarchy that both defends confessional power-sharing and laments its consequences cannot have it both ways. The presidency stood vacant for more than two years from 2022, and Bkerke's Sunday sermons were among the loudest voices calling for it to be filled.